South Korean retail investors pour $1.6 billion into KOSPI amid institutional selloff

South Korean retail investors, known as 'ants,' purchased $1.6 billion in stocks on Monday as the KOSPI index dropped 2.70% to 6,889.75 following the Chuseok holiday. While foreign investors sold approximately $2.4 billion and institutions sold $750 million due to concerns over the US dollar and the semiconductor sector, retail traders acted as the sole net buyers. This behavior mirrors the 2020 pandemic crash, though past leveraged bets on stocks like SK hynix have resulted in significant losses. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which both fell over 5%, remain the primary focus of this retail buying trend.